Truth and the Birth Control Pill

In the context of media coverage or federal government marketing, the use the word truth and the term birth control pill in the same sentence is a literal contradiction. The truth about the pill is rarely noted and never emphasized to a level that would, in a sane society, create a demand to immediately withdraw the dangerous drug from the market.

But as we all know, American society is not synonymous with sanity in matters of faith and morals. And that becomes more evident every day.

A case in point is the recent headline about new birth control pills and the “higher risk of blood clots.” To begin, this is not news, as the fact of the matter is the pill has been leading to blood clot formation and death from strokes for years. Previously the Food and Drug Administration had reported that the risk of a blood clot among those who use the newer forms of the pill was 1.5 times greater than those not using the pill, but this latest study reveals a surprise: “When compared to women who did not use birth control, those taking the older forms of the pill were 2.5 times more likely to get blood clots, while those on the newer pills had around a four times increased risk.” Clearly four times greater is seriously higher than the previously reported 1.5 times.

As far as CBS News is concerned, to its credit—and perhaps out of a lack of historical fact—it actually related this story last week. But the story contained a rather queer caveat. To provide fair and balanced coverage, CBS reported the comments of researcher Yana Vinogradova: “Women on pills should not stop taking them only as a consequence of these findings because they may put themselves at a higher risk of blood clots associated with unwanted pregnancy and abortion.” In actuality, there are no valid statistics to support Vinogradova’s claim, only estimates from a wide variety of sources, including the recent study noted above. But that is not the point.

There is a huge difference between experiencing the female bodily changes that occur during the natural process of pregnancy and the bodily changes that occur when a female—particularly a teenager—ingests the birth control pill. The side effects are too numerous to list here, but we can mention a few.

Long-term use of the pill (five years or longer) can lead to a higher risk of brain tumors.

Use of the pill can negatively affect the structure of the brain itself.

The pill can increase the likelihood of a female having breast cancer.

Equally important to a female understanding that she may be putting her life on the line just because she wants to use the pill is the understanding that it’s not just her life on the line. If a child is created within her as the result of sexual activity, her baby may die because of the pill before he ever reaches the lining of her uterus where he would have implanted—had he lived!

There is nothing natural about the birth control pill. The main reason a female takes it is the fear of pregnancy and the attempt to avoid the natural result of her sexual actions. Caring for a baby is too risky or undesirable, she may think. But if that is so, why is she having sex?

If she really wants to avoid pregnancy, the only safe choice is chastity. And chastity costs neither a penny nor a life.

We know that, in today’s sexually-focused society, it is a challenge to remain pure and to save one’s self for marriage. But during those times of temptation, reflect on these words of St. Peter Julian Eymard: “We must be pure. I do not speak merely of the purity of the senses. We must observe great purity in our will, in our intentions, in all our actions.”

And remember, if the choice is between being chaste or being deathly ill—or even dead—is the decision really that hard?

Educate yourself. Educate your family. Educate your friends. For important facts about the birth control pill, go to thepillkills.org.